Category: Faith

New beginnings………………

Kathy S. ParishLeave a comment

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Well, hello again, blog friends. You might say I’ve treated friends with little consideration to be so long absent from the blogosphere. I’ve thought of many excuses: a demanding fulltime job, the distraction and time demands of self-publishing a novel, trying to make some effort to be a good wife-mother-daughter-grandmother. All reasonable and true, but not really valid reasons to neglect this part of my writer life!

My contrition was stimulated in part by a devotional thought this July 1 from my trustworthy book pictured above. That day’s thoughts were all about perseverance. Remembering all the times I have prayed for the strength to persevere, my heart was convicted that blogging is a test of that ability. Oh, yes, there are other important areas in which it is important to persevere–one’s faith, family relationships (even when somewhat dysfunctional), the continuous learning required in one’s profession, cultivating friendships–to name a few. But the commitment to contribute to my little corner of the digital world should not be taken lightly. I began this adventure with selfish motives–to build a platform and get my book published. With the decision to self-publish (a process which is well underway and responsible for many of the afore-mentioned distractions and demands), platform slipped on the totem pole of priorities. The past few days I have been bothered by the nagging truth that blogging and the discipline necessary to this form of self-expression is an important measure of my ability to persevere.

“Because perseverance is so difficult, even when supported by the grace of God, from that is the value of new beginnings. For new beginnings are the life of perseverance.” Edward B. Pusey

Therefore, I am embarking on a NEW BEGINNING do not labor under the misapprehension that this will be my last new beginning, for I am sure that sooner or later I will lapse, as is the truth associated with all resolutions, New Year or otherwise. However, I pledge to do my best to do better. So, I was gratified to read a few lines later:

“Be patient with everyone, but above all with yourself. I mean, do not be disturbed because of your imperfections, and always rise up bravely from a fall. I am glad that you daily make a new beginning. There is no better means of progress in the spiritual life than to be continually beginning afresh, and never to think that we have done enough.”
Francis de Sales

I have indeed not done enough, but what an opportunity for improvement! I wonder how many of you might have experienced similar lapses. I hope you recognized and corrected yours more promptly than I have mine! I thank you for your understanding and forgiveness……………

Close encounters………

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Steven Spielberg created a sci-fi classic in 1977 with the release of Close Encounters of the Third Kind, the story of an ordinary, working-class guy whose life is changed by an encounter with a UFO. The phrase, “the third kind”, designates the inclusion of actual encounters with aliens in the story. The United States Library of Congress designated the film as “culturally, historically, or aesthetically significant” in December of 2007, and it was selected for preservation in the National Film Registry.

Now, this post is really NOT about UFOs or aliens. It’s more about the phraseology, “close encounters of…..”. Yesterday I began thinking about what I have termed Close Encounters of the GOD Kind.

The good thing about teaching a children’s Bible class in Sunday School is having to read the Bible as part of class preparation. This week the young ladies’ (5th and 6th grade) class that I teach studied Esther. Esther was a young, beautiful Jewish girl who became the queen of Persia at a time when Jewish captives in that country came under persecution and threatened annihilation. She became a reluctant but effective champion for her people. At one point, in an effort to encourage her to act heroically, her adoptive parent advised her: “…And who knows but that you have come to royal position for such a time as this?” (Esther 4:14b, NIV)

Esther’s story reminded me of another. Genesis recounts the beginnings of the Jewish nation. One of Jacob’s twelve sons was Joseph. The recipient of his father’s obvious favoritism, Joseph was sold into slavery by his brothers. While in Egypt, with divine help, Joseph became powerful, enabling him to save his entire family from famine. His brothers feared retribution for their evil deed when they approached Joseph to request aid. However, Joseph offered a different perspective: “And now, do not be distressed and do not be angry with yourselves for selling me here, because it was to save lives that God sent me ahead of you.” (Genesis 45:5, NIV)

Do you ever consider the “close encounters of the God kind that occur in our lives? Because I do believe that they are real. It may be the head-on collision that almost happened, but didn’t. Or the phone call or note originating with you that arrived at a pivotal time in the recipient’s life and made a real difference in the order of things. Maybe you were the recipient of that call or note. Perhaps you’ve always longed to teach or sing or play an instrument or write! That longing may be God’s hand prodding you to branch out in your life experience. Maybe you have been at just the right place at just the right time with just the right words or skills to change the direction a life is taking (or to save a life). Maybe your life work (teaching, building, nursing, healing) is not just a job or profession but a true calling–aren’t you blessed? Do you acknowledge the reality of a divine being who is planning and directing our life course? How often do we write events off to luck or coincidence when divine intervention is the real explanation?

For much of my life, a small plaque has been in my bedroom, as it is even now in my adult years. I have no idea whose work it is. In my childhood, the version pictured below was sold door to door. The imagery is a beloved interpretation of God’s watch care over His children, hazardous though our walks may be. And, hazardous they would truly be, without His loving care. I invite you to join me this and every day in being thankful and joyful and full of praise to the Lord for all of our “CLOSE ENCOUNTERS OF THE GOD KIND!

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Familiar Faith

Kathy S. Parish5 Comments
One of the best gifts ever......
One of the best gifts ever……

This well-worn paperback was gifted to me in December of 2001, and I began reading it in January of 2002. I have read portions of it every year since. Its cover has been reinforced with tape. Many pages are highlighted and underlined. My copy bears a copyright of 1997.

Just think, it has been my constant companion for over twelve years. I’m not sure what keeps me drawn to it. Its title speaks volumes. It seems I am always in need of reinforced strength, for the daily needs are always there, although they wax and wane in intensity. The book is a compilation of Bible verses (pure King James Version), poetry, and quotations from (I presume) spiritual leaders. Some of the language is rather archaic, and I have seen modernized versions, and have bought a few of the updated volumes as gifts for family and friends, but I tend to prefer the original verbiage.

Yesterday’s selection included this paragraph:

“It is possible–when the future is dim, when our depressed faculties can form no bright ideas of the perfection and happiness of a better world–it is possible still to cling to the conviction of God’s merciful purpose toward His creatures, of His parental goodness even in suffering. We can still feel that the path of duty, though trodden with a heavy heart, leads to peace. We can still be true to conscience. We can still do our work, resist temptation, be useful, though with diminished energy, and give up our wills, even when we cannot rejoice under God’s mysterious providence. In this patient, though uncheered, obedience, we become prepared for light. The soul gathers force.”
William Ellery Channing (emphasis mine)

It’s not a very cheerful passage, is it? But, more than once over the past 12 years, it has impressed me. Life is not always easy or enjoyable. A friend of mine says that feeling stress gives us reassurance that we are still alive. And now, as I struggle with this transition into truly becoming an accomplished writer (translated PUBLISHED!), which does not at the moment seem to be going my way, Mr. Channing’s admonition was just what I needed. It was the necessary reminder that there is still work to be done. That this is no time to quit. That God does have a plan. And my soul gathers force to persevere.

Of course, writing is not the only path that requires perseverance. The challenges of everyday life require a stubborn stick-to-itiveness. One must keep on keeping on when faced with family illness or estrangement. One must still do the work that needs to be done, whether going to the job and giving a fair day’s work for a day’s pay or cleaning house or cooking meals or balancing the budget. Perhaps the most immediate challenge is finding the will to get out of bed and face the day. One step, one task, one day at a time is what it takes.

So, here I am, sharing this moment, my thoughts with you. And I shall be bold and “publish”. And, just perhaps, it will speak to someone out there who also feels the stress and needs daily strength and hears this challenge to hang in there and keep the faith.

Blessings to all………

When the earth gives way……..

Kathy S. ParishLeave a comment

Psalm 46:1-3–“God is our refuge and strength, an ever-present help in trouble. Therefore we will not fear, though the earth give way and the mountains fall into the heart of the sea, though its waters roar and foam and the mountains quake with their surging.”

I confess I was stunned by the timeliness of the above-quoted verse as I came across it during an early morning time of meditation this week. Like so many of you, I had been horrified and saddened to hear of the tragedy in Washington state when a mudslide, suddenly and without warning, obliterated an entire neighborhood. What terrible loss, what unimaginable sadness for the survivors, I thought. And, what a terrifying death it must have been for those souls lost. My heart was heavy and my mind could hardly comprehend the magnitude of the disaster.

This morning’s paper enlightened me about a similar event occurring in the wake of Hurricane Camille when 150 people were killed in Virginia. The year was 1969. And where was I, I wondered?
Wrapped in my 19-year-old centricity? Suffering through the angst of almost adulthood? So wrapped in my own world that the event did not even register in my memory. Shame on me!

We humans are repeatedly shocked by the devastation of natural disasters. Snow storms and ice storms, blizzards and nor’easters–these the progeny of the polar vortex that now is such a familiar part of our weather vocabulary. Tornadoes and hurricanes, floods and droughts, earthquakes and tsunamis, volcanoes and sinkholes. The world is, indeed, the stage for all of Mother Nature’s acts, some quite terrible. And how does our abuse of this planet contribute to what seems to be an epidemic of disastrous events? I wondered.

So, how do we not fear (at least once in a while)? We humans generally inherently fear death in all its forms. Unless, that is, we have some firm belief in life after death. I comfort myself with the image of those victims of the mudslide, wrapped in God’s loving arms, accompanied by some comforting angel, crossing gently over. At least I pray that was so.

For, after all, we have the promise of a better life after this one, a promise pictured beautifully in the blossoming dogwood. Upon that truth we should depend. I do so hope you share that knowledge.

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An elephant in the house

Kathy S. ParishLeave a comment

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There’s an elephant in this house. It (I will not dignify it with gender!) is huge, gray, and impervious to all my efforts to show it the door. It took up residence ten years ago, but we, through the grace of God and expert medical help, were able to relegate it to the attic, where it slept and, unfortunately, appears to have gathered strength, for its next foray into our world. And, crash back in, irrespective of the hearts and minds and emotions it was devastating, it did, and took up residence, which I do hope and pray is temporary.

That elephant, you see, is depression, and a stronger, more persistent interloper is hard to find. It took up residence with a dearly beloved child. But never think that depression is a respecter of persons. Once it enters the house, its presence is felt by all. Each individual experiences it uniquely, but no one is unscathed. There is no swifter road to a personal battle with depression than seeing one’s child sucked into the dark void of its depths. There is no more certain road to a personal experience with depression than grieving over a child’s helplessness and hopelessness and, again unfortunately, observing that child’s sometimes tragic efforts to escape from its pit of darkness.

The other salient point to recognize about depression is its cloak of invisibility. Everyone knows the elephant is in the house, sitting or standing in the corner, rather lonely in its isolation. Because, though everyone is thinking about it, feeling it, hating it, no one is talking about it!! There seems to be an inherent human tendency to believe that, if it’s ignored long enough, it will just go away. WRONG!! The only way to weaken, and ultimately defeat, the elephant, is to acknowledge its presence. That which we fear can defeat us. Envision the big gray elephant as simply a bully who needs only to be confronted to be defeated.

The psalmist gives life to depression’s form and substance in Psalm 77:1-2:

“I cried out to God for help;
I cried out to God to hear me.
When I was in distress, I sought the
Lord;
at night I stretched out untiring
hands
and my soul refused to be
comforted.”

Yet the writer of Lamentations (?the prophet Jeremiah) speaks a message of hope in chapter 22, verses 22 through 24:

“Because of the Lord’s great love we
are not consumed,
for his compassions never fail.
They are new every morning;
great is your faithfulness.
I say to myself, ‘The Lord is my
portion;
therefore I will wait for him.'”

It is my experience that the only way to deal with the elephant is through faith. It is only through the grace of God that we can push that big gray elephant back into the attic (or basement or cellar or wherever we can relegate it to). But when faith falters, and the elephant is treading roughshod on the hopes and dreams of a loved one (or our own hopes and dreams), what are we to do? My top ten strategies:

1. Pray.
2. Enlist other prayer warriors.
3. Demonstrate unconditional love to the elephant’s prey (so, if you are the prey, that means loving oneself unconditionally!).
4. Maintain as much normalcy as possible.
5. Talk about the elephant. Recognize its presence, the reality of its influence, and don’t be afraid to call it by its real name.
6. Pray some more.
7. Share your hurts, worries, and fears with trusted family and friends.
8. Read the Bible–it is rich in messages of comfort.
9. Do whatever you do to escape from the elephant’s attack–read, write, cook, sew, train for a marathon, go dancing–you fill in the blank. (Guess which one I chose!)
10. Pray without ceasing.

Please don’t leave with the impression that I am writing as an expert. This is not an instructional piece, but more of a catharsis for me. I am tired of the elephant cohabiting with my family. I am ready for it to leave. And I am going to do all of the above (and anything else I can think of) to relegate it to the far corner of our world with the stated intent that it should, “Go away, you big bully, and don’t you ever, ever come back!” I hope and pray it works this time.

Life Happens

Kathy S. Parish6 Comments

“Bow the knee;
trust the heart of your Father when the answer goes beyond what you can see.
Bow the knee;
lift your eyes toward heaven and believe the One who holds eternity.
And when you don’t understand
the purpose of His plan,
In the presence of the King,
bow the knee.”

You know how it is when you get a song stuck in your head? A constant refrain in perpetual repeat mode playing on the I-Pod of your brain? It’s sometimes VERY annoying, like when it’s the theme from “Gilligan’s Island” or “The Brady Bunch”. But this week, for me, it’s been Chris Machen and Mike Harland’s creation, quoted above.

Early on I attributed it to the fact that we sang it in worship service last Sunday and to the reality that it is, quite simply, a beautiful song with a powerful message. As the week progressed, and it stayed and Stayed and STAYED, repeating over and over as I worked, cooked, showered, did laundry, and tried to read, I felt I needed to consider its presence a little more deeply.

For most of the past year, the answer for me has gone beyond what I can see. And, for much of my life, I have not understood the purpose of His plan. But, I know He’s got one–a special and good one for each of us–writers, nurses, wives, mothers, daughters, grandmothers, sisters, friends (and the male counterparts of each of those terms–don’t mean to leave you out, guys). And, Monday morning quarterbacking, I have been able to detect His hand at work in the events of my life. We want to see the future. We want to know everything’s going to turn out just fine. But the seeing and the knowing is not for us to do. It is, after all, His plan. Our role is to believe, lift our eyes toward heaven, bow the knee, and live the plan. I think those lyrics, so beautifully captured in the melody of the song, reminded me of that, and I needed that reminder.

This is not a discourse on how bad my life is, because it isn’t. As a very good friend often reminds, “Life happens’. A middle-aged, apparently strong and healthy family member is stricken unexpectedly by respiratory failure. Another family member struggles with a seemingly unending bout of depression, which I am helpless to “fix”. There are hurdles to overcome and valleys to traverse, as I wait for the verdict from a literary agent who is considering my first novel. But the reality that I am SO blessed with steady and gratifying work, loving family and friends, a comfortable home, and a faith that never lets me down far outweighs the fleeting struggles of this life.

I think I needed that song last week, and I most likely will in weeks to come. To be honest, my knees are pretty arthritic. The bowing’s not too hard, but the getting up is. However, I surely can bow the head, heart, and spirit, and “Be still before the Lord and wait patiently for Him;” (Psalm 37:7a, NIV).

Blessings to all of you this week!

The Snowflake

Kathy S. Parish4 Comments

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Dear Phil,

Well, here I am after two days without electricity and, therefore, internet access, acknowledging that I was out of line. After all, I did almost double-dog-dare you on the ice storm and power outage stuff. Guess you showed me! However, we really need to clear up the groundhog in charge of the weather thing. I know this celebrity business and national attention must be a real high for you. After all, you are “just” a groundhog, albeit a fine specimen. But, you and I both know that the legend surrounding you seeing your shadow and foretelling six more weeks of winter is just man’s futile attempt to feel in control of future events by predicting the weather.

And, I have to say I’m really sorry for whining about my little inconveniences. So the power was out for a couple of days? We have a generator. Maybe I couldn’t do laundry and run the dishwasher and cook big meals for my family (which I really like to do when I’m home). But I was warm, had hot water for a shower, hot coffee to wake me up, and lights to read by. I don’t have to have propane to warm my home. My heart aches for the thousands of Americans who are still struggling with dangerous driving conditions and prolonged power outages, propane shortages and skyrocketing prices, and just plain old freezing cold temperatures. So, hey guys, my prayers are with you.

And, I am compelled to acknowledge the true Creator of all things, including the weather. I never really forgot Him, but was impressed anew by the reality of the wonder of His creation when I viewed the photograph shared by a friend this week.

A single snowflake caught fresh fallen on a tree trunk enthralled me with its detail. We humans try to copy nature’s beauty–fragile glittering snowflake ornaments on a Christmas tree, lacy patterns stenciled on a window, papery renditions cut by a child–but we can never match God’s detail. Ours are too symmetrical, too simple, too uniform, one-dimensional. I am reminded of the omnipresence and omniscience of God. He, we are taught, knows every sparrow, every hair on our heads. To be honest, I really don’t think He should bother remembering how many brown, highlighted, lowlighted, or gray hairs I have. I rather think that Scripture is an analogy to impress upon us the reality that God knows every detail of our being intimately, seeing the spiritual heart of each person, seeking a relationship with us, and feeling our pain when we hurt. Whether the hurt is mere disappointment or overwhelming grief or terminal illness, dark depression or the hopelessness of suicidal ideation or the helplessness of addiction, the tragedy of flood or windstorm or winter storm, He shares it with us, and we can look to Him for comfort and hope. After all, He has said, “I know the plans I have for you, plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.” (Jeremiah 29:11 NIV)

So, Phil, enjoy the limelight but remember who made you (and me) and who is really in control. A snowflake has reminded me.

Sincerely,

kp

I am the pencil?

Kathy S. Parish1 Comment

“I am like a little pencil in God’s hand. He does the writing. The pencil has nothing to do with it.” Mother Teresa

Many times in my life I have been keenly aware of God’s direction–the rather remarkable circumstances through which I entered nursing school (and my profession/life of the past 36 years), the miraculous discovery of the one physician who could salvage my daughter’s life, the indelible influence that my Christian collaborating physician and his beautiful wife have had on my life, and a text message a short while ago from my granddaughter, a beautiful, intelligent young woman of whom I am very proud. She wrote that she has been working on a blog for some time now, but has been timid about sharing the link with anyone. Guess what, dear–your Nana has heretofore been very selective in sharing her link, too! As a matter of fact, my first post pretty much details my ugly fears and uncertainties. I was rather depressed for about a week prior to clicking “Publish”, but, surprise! I have been inordinately happy since doing it. My mind is full of ideas, phrases, analogies–all just struggling to make it to the printed page. And, I am happy. Don’t take that the wrong way. It’s not that I feel important or particularly gifted. I know my blog is not literary genius or food for the intellectual. But it is my soapbox, my stage, and, if any readers show up, my audience.

You see, it is easy to feel that one has little of importance to say. But, perhaps, in God’s eyes, the least of these thoughts timidly recorded is a very big deal. I have often pondered Mother Teresa’s words quoted above. I don’t think the pencil analogy has to do with just words, although words are very important. As a nurse, I think of the words and phrases that evoke such vivid images to us and capture so succinctly the patient situation we are describing. We say, “just fan him with a big white hat,” to mean that there is nothing specific we can do to help that particular complaint, but that the white hat, representative of the good cowboy saving the day, might somehow send good karma his way. Or what about the phrase “she’s crashing and burning”, which inspires in our gut the same adrenalin rush that seeing a plane’s fiery demise might? Although it has fallen out of favor, in my young nurse days the words “he’s low sick” described a patient in the valley of illness with multiple issues and declining vital signs and a grim prognosis. Today “she’s a hot mess” might be heard in the clinical setting to describe the same patient. For me that phrase brings to mind a steaming hot pile of whatever turns you off–a big mess that has to be cleaned up, and the cleaning made all the more difficult because it is, indeed, hot! The patient that breathes the thought, “I want to go home,” and you know he’s talking about a better home than his home here on earth, can inspire a particularly keen watchful wait in the nurse. And then, there is the all-important “just tie a knot and hang on”, because even when the rope is slipping through your hands and you are about to fall to your fate, the proverbial knot will give you a handhold to cling to.

Words do indeed speak volumes and are tremendously important, especially to a writer, but actions are important, too. Sometimes the action of clicking “Publish” is more important than we know. For too long I have been afraid of failure. Mother Teresa also said, “God didn’t call us to be successful, just faithful.” If I am, indeed, His pencil, every word typed and published is His to use as He chooses. Perhaps those words might offer inspiration, encouragement, or comfort. It is my job to trust and just do it. What about you? Are you His pencil? How are you fulfilling that challenge? I hope with confidence and with the best effort that is in you.

And that you, dear, dear granddaughter, will go forth boldly to share your knowledge, creativity, sensitivity–so many gifts in one beautiful package! Go ahead, sweetie, blog and broadcast it to the world!